Shakespeare/WWI poems assessment by Albert Savill
In this controlled assessment I will be explaining how the extremes of emotion expressed in Titus Andronicus and WWI poetry been effectively created by the writers’ craft and performance of the drama text on stage, on screen and classroom.
Titus Andronicus is a play written by Shakespeare before his prime, it has a theme of vengeance and is bloodied with violence. The violence is over the top since death is so involved with the story it may as well be a character. In the modern day on the other hand Titus Andronicus has gained some popularity for various reasons, like: Since civilization these days are friendlier we barely do or see violence like there used to be back in the Victorian era. So people might watch the play because the violence is fascinating them. Another reason would be the story to this generation is fascinating because most of us wouldn’t hear or see a story so bizarre as Titus Andronicus. The story also has another feature that isn’t common with today’s society, the language. In the play there are more abbreviations and alliterations in pretty much any form of art that would be produce now except for poetry. WWI poems were written by Wilfred Owen and Seigfried Sassoon who both became famous for their poetry giving us the emotions that were felt/expressed in WWI.
Shakespearian plays are similar to WWI poetry. Not just the context of both but the language devises too. The metaphors, alliterations and personifications are used in the play Titus Andronicus and WWI poetry. The context is similar because its dark themed, Wilfred Owen and Seigfried for example; their poems were mainly about death and suffering in the war including various emotions, as Titus Andronicus has plenty of deaths with suffering and extreme emotions felt. WWI poems were also written by soldiers to their loved ones at home which is extreme to emotion because the poems will go home, but the soldiers may not. But these plays were performed in theaters which of course doesn’t have the extreme emotion but shows some affect with the acting by the reactions of death.
In both the story of Titus Andronicus and the WWI poetry they have similar emotions expressed. In Titus Andronicus for example; Grief from the death of his sons, vengeance he must have which probably involves anger, honor from being a war hero. Yet very little or no happiness at all. As in WWI poetry you would find a lot of grief from the deaths of soldiers, honor from the soldiers who survived the war and went back home, anger wasn’t shown in WWI poetry that much because it showed more depression, grief and suffering. Like WWI poetry Titus Andronicus has very little or no happiness. If there were happiness found in Titus Andronicus it may be the fact that they’re in peace for a few moments before another unfortunate event occurs. With WWI poetry the memory of the soldiers loved ones would be the only thing to make them happy because the end of the war wouldn’t, yeah it means they made it out but the horrifying memories will always be playing in the soldiers mind.
The extreme emotions I’ve just explained deserves to have an example shown with them. From Seigfried Sassoon poem How to die shows the emotion of honor. “The dying soldier shifts his head to watch the glory that returns; He lifts his fingers toward the skies where holy brightness breaks in flame; Radiance reflects in his eyes, and on his lips a whispered name.” Reason why the emotion in that part of the poem is honor because he dies with it, dying without moaning, reaching to the sky whispering a name probably a loved one. The soldier new it was certain death so he took it, “died like a man” most people would refer it to. A few lines from Shakespeare’s play Titus Andronicus act 5 scene 3: “Why, there they are, both baked in this pie; whereof their mother daintily hath fed, eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. Tis true, tis true, witness my knives’ sharp point.” This was Titus’ last words before he was killed by Saturninus just after killing the empress Tamora. Comparing this with Sassoon’s poem Titus died with vengeance and honor, it’s a dark kind of honor but got it by standing for his families will. Grief is also another extreme emotion shown in WWI poetry and Titus Andronicus, take Wilfred Owens “Anthem for doomed youth” for example. A poem about young soldiers dying in the war at an alarming rate it wouldn’t be surprising if another dies. But the thing is grief isn’t shown too much from the soldiers back then, “What passing-bells for these who dies as cattle?” This line shows a metaphor “for these who die as cattle.” Is telling us that soldiers in the war die but the war still goes on just like how live goes on and you don’t feel grief when a cattle dies. This is like Titus in act 3 scene 1 when he is pleading for the lives of his remaining sons. “Who, though they cannot answer my distress, yet in some sort they are better than the tribunes,” This was the point where Titus is feeling he can’t spare his sons he ends up speaking to stones because tribunes are the judges that do unfair things but if Titus loses his sons it won’t matter, no one will care life will still go on for others. Both the poem shows certain people who lost loved ones will feel grief but the rest of the world will not.
Both in the poem from Anthem of doomed youth and a quote of Titus Andronicus has an end line that gives a stop to the rhythm in the poem that includes alliterations, “And tribunes with their tongues doom men to death” – Titus “And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds” – Owen. They both have alliteration, yet it’s used in both the entire poem and Titus’ line the endings of both gives the feeling of fear. I say fear because “doom men to death” means men who are doomed may be in grave danger and “drawing-down of blinds” has a meaning of the inevitable death that will be forgotten by the people. Comparing Titus Andronicus to another Wilfred Owen poem metaphors are used. For example in Dulce ET decorum “As under the green sea, I saw him drowning.” This where Owen sees a soldier suffering from a gas attack, so horrific it’s like the soldier was actually drowning with the gas. From Titus Andronicus act 3 scene 1 “A stone is soft as wax, –tribunes more hard than stones;” The point where he tells his problems to the stones he’s trying to say that stones are soft and will probably understand Titus if they had feelings and the tribunes are more “hard than stones” is a metaphor that the tribunes are cold blooded
With all these language techniques and devises that the authors use to express emotions the most effective way they can is because it leaves though to the readers on what happened. Owen and Sassoon try to give readers an idea on what they felt during the war, giving them a knowledge on the reality of war and all the horrifying images that will be remembered forever. Comparing this with Shakespeare and his play Titus Andronicus Shakespeare gives people an idea of life in the Victorian era, because of the emotions and actions shown by Shakespeare’s play we know what life must have been like in the Victorian era, violent, no symphony, battle of the fittest, only the rich will have good lives. The list goes on. Owen, Sassoon and Shakespeare uses techniques to show extreme emotion to let us know how they felt. To let us appreciate it.